Got this for xmas at request. I got through so many phases with tumblers. I usually stick to my bamboo or my glass one instead of my fancier ones, but this one intrigued me. It looked pretty, a few influencers on instagram raved about putting roasty oolongs in it, and then there’s the fact its metal coated with ceramic on the interior. So, it’s a cool idea.
Using it, it’s very similar to my eclipse teaware, but less expensive, yet sturdier. In terms of design, it’s more suited for prebagged tea or higher grade/larger leaves. The curl of the filter keeps a lot of leaves out, but anything smaller than a rolled oolong or black slips through.
In terms of what has worked better, I have to go for teas that are better grandpa or use less leaves for tumbler syle. It’s obvious to go for more flexible leaves in terms of tannin, but my greener oolongs didn’t fair as well as my darker oolongs, blacks or greens on average. White teas were hit or miss, which surprised me. My Taiwanese Assam was smoother than even my Shan Lin Xi Oolong. I know Green Oolongs are better for Gong Fu, but the ones I picked do better with grandpa too. I usually don’t have to worry about them. On the other end, there were more complex flavors I got out of a remaining Bi Lo CHun I’ve kept along with a Taiwanese Green.
Flavor is well preserved by the ceramic, but as with any tumbler, I actually find that heat retention is a double edged sword. This thing will keep it warm for a minimum of three hours if I leave the lid opem, but up to 6 hours if I close it. If I brew the tea for 190 F, it will remain close to that point for a while and keeping the leaves at that temperature while grandpa brewing. I usually have to add colder water to temper it If I want to drink it sooner. Again, it’s amazing that it retains that heat for travel. For preventing tannin in brewing teas, however, it’s not so great for my green oolongs.
It can be great as a mini teapot/serving vessel for gong fu for sure, but that’s with the expectation that I pour it under 30 seconds or 3 minutes. I have only dropped it twice and no cracks. I don’t recommend slamming it or hard scrubbing it to keep the cool designs. So, elegant yet durable. It’s not as versatile as the Gong Fu 2 Go Tumbler, but it’s sooo much easier to clean overall.
I really like this tumbler overall, but it’s not super versatile. Small leaves are a bad idea in since they will come through. It’s easy to overleaf if not careful. If you brew the tea in a separate mug then pour it in, it will be amazing. It also works as a modern approach better than a regular tea pot if you are brewing your tea in it. It can work for blacks and greens when I leave the leaves in, it’s okay for some flavored teas if you wash it IMMEDIATELY (hand washing only), but I’m still figuring out oolongs. A part of me wish I opted for a larger size than 12 oz since I finish it quickly, and I think I might be able to get better ratios for grandpa style with a bigger size. I’m curious about what you guys think or are curious about.
